A Very Rare & Beautiful, English, 1860's 12 Shot Hanson Revolver, With Finest Engraving & Much Original Mirror Blue Finish

19th century earliest cartridge multi shot revolvers are incredibly rare when they have a cylinder designed to be capable of taking more than six rounds, but a twelve round cylinder is incredibly rare.

Made and signed by G.Hanson of Doncaster, in Yorkshire. Likely the son and successor to S. Hanson who was a recorded Doncaster maker in the 1830's. Birmingham proofed barrel, fluted cylinder, deluxe scroll engraved frame. This is a true untouched beauty. In fabulous condition with much of its original deluxe blue finish remaining. The 12 shot pinfire revolver was extremely rare at the time of it's use, and enormously expensive during the 1860's to 1890's, but they are even rarer now, as so few survived the past century.

Such multi shop cartridge taking revolvers were the veritable holy grail of revolvers for officer's in the American Civil War. They enabled the user to have incredible firepower, effectively the firepower of two men at once, armed with their regular 5 or 6 shot revolvers.

Generally accredited with the invention of the pinfire cartridge, in 1835, is Casimir Lefaucheux. This was the year in which the French company, Gevelot, manufacturers of percussion caps, began commercial production of pinfire shotgun cartridges, the invention of which they credited to Lefaucheux. Lefaucheux's cartridge consisted of a paper tube with a brass head out of the rim of which, at right angles to the case, sticks a pin. The hammer of the gun drove this pin into the internal primer, igniting the powder charge. The effectiveness of this system was improved greatly when in the mid 1840's, another Frenchman, Houillier, invented a base wad which made the cartridge gas tight and gave it more strength. Still the British gun makers largely ignored this new idea until it was displayed at the Crystal Palace Exhibition in 1851. It was here that Joseph Lang recognised the pinfire as a great step forward and began making improvements, including making the bolt mechanism less liable to wear during continuous use. In 1856 the Scottish firm of John Dickson & Sons sold their first pinfire with James Purdy following suit a year later. This attempt at creating a multi-shot revolver meant several late-19th Century pistol firms were forever trying to increase the firepower of the revolver of the day. This type of most rare form of 12-shot revolver has been documented and well known to have been used in the American Civil War, mostly on the side of the Southern states. As with all our antique guns no license is required as they are all unrestricted antique collectables . Barrel 4.75 inches, 7mm calibre.

Code: 21594